Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7

Pros: sharp vivid colors, fantastic motion and low lighting shots

Cons: battery must be charged outside of camera, needs more photo editing options

Summary: I had already purchased another popular brand named camera which had 10 megapixels when I seen the amazing quality of the pictures of this cyber shot 8.1 megapixel camera. I brought my new camera into the store and took shots with each of the cameras for comparison. I sent my new camera back immediately and took home the more expensive Cyber Shot. That was two months ago and have I taken literally thousands of pictures with the Cyber Shot in many different conditions. The colors are always bright and crisp. In fact my eighteen year old son is pleased enough with the pictures that I shot of him to forgo the professional photographers costly senior picture fees. I am not a professional by any means but family and friends who have seen the pictures all agree with him. Pictures that I took during a kickball game came out amazingly clear and sharp without any blurring. I love the burst feature for motion shots. I can take pictures in dark situations and no one would ever know that I could hardly see the subject in the photo when I snapped the shot. A few minor complaints; I wish that the battery was easier to get in and out of the camera and I wish that the camera could be charged with the battery still inside. I also wish that it had better in-camera editing features then what is offered. The camera that I took back had an auto enhance feature that I sometimes miss. The Cyber Shot is easy to catch on to if one is not afraid to play around with it and the guide that is downloaded onto the computer is helpful as well. It has many features that I do enjoy, such as the slideshow that has an option in which I can choose up to four of my favorite songs that I can transfer from my computer onto the memory card that I bought with the camera. It only plays a small bit of the song that I select but it is still nice. I can take it to my work and set it on my desk so that I have one of those ‘digital photo albums’ displaying hundreds of my favorite pictures. I love the ease of choosing different shooting options on the dial and that the options are viewable with their individual instructions on the LCD screen as I twist the dial. A few times it has taken on its own mind however to spin the dial itself until I was forced to shut it off so I am a little concerned about its durability.